Ironing machine structure



J.*A.' AsTRlcoNE 2,252,165 IRON'INGMACHINE STRUCTURE Filed sept. 15'1939ug- 12 1941 J. A. cAs'rRlcoNE 2,252,165 l lIRONING MACHINE STRUCTURE lild sept. A1s, 193s esheets-snget 3' ("6 my "In, 'ffmv MH] UHUHU QA TIJ. A cAs'rRlcoNE 2,252,165 IRONING MACHINE STRUCTURE Aug. 12, 1941.

fFiiedspt. is, 1959 e snets-sheet 4 A/"Mffw -f All@ 12 1941- J. A.cAsTRl-coNE 2,252,165

IRONING MACHINE STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 13, 1939 6 Shets-Sheet 5 Allg 12194i- J, A. cAsTRlcoNE 2,252,165

IRONING MACHINE STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 15, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patenteiug. 12, 1941 John A. Castricone, Peoria, 11.1.,4 assigner to'AltorferBros. Company, Peoria, Ill., a corporation oi' Illinois ApplicationSeptember 13, 1939, Serial No.294,624

- 1 claim. (ci. ca -6,1)

rIlhis invention relates to domestic ironing machines and particularlyto a novel structure which permits cheaper and more modern manufacturingarrangements as Well as providing `-better ments in both utility andservice.

Heretofore domestic ironing machines have been constructed as a singleunit with a mechanism attached in parts on the cabinet. Afterpractically complete assembly the` ironer as a unit wasthen painted.'I'his represents an older order or type of manufacture as contrastedwith the more modern group line assembly methods as used in the'manufacture of washingvma'chines, refrigerators, and automobiles.

Modern paint or enamel finishes as used on such modernized products asautomobiles, refrigerators, and `washing machines require hightemperature drying or baking and this requirement practicallynecessitates a separation of the product in units which may be handledand processed conveniently. f.

IZihe conventional unitary structure oi domestic ironing machines isill' suited to such treatment and it is the particular objectrof thisinvention to provide improved structure wherein the cabinet andmechanism could be assembled and painted as/separate units and thenvafterward s, y.the cabinet designed to carry these stresses .ratherthan to apply them `to the cabinet as a whole and thus-provide a betterand more economical use of materials.

A still further object is to separate the ironer into various unitswhich would permit better service of the machine.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the followingdescriptions and drawings in which: Fig. li is a frontisometric view ofa domestic ironer complete aswill illustrate a preferred embodiment ofmy invention; l Fig.'2 is a similar iront isometric viewv of the ironer`cabinet complete less all mechanism;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken bottom view of the ironer cabinetillustrated in Fig. 2, showing a sub-frame spot welded in positionandwhich will be further explained in detail ;l

Fig. '4 is a broken cross sectional elevation view showing the top ofthe cabinet and sub-frame with operating mechanism assembly in place;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged isometric view of the ironer drive mechanism withmotor attached; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged reverse side isometric view of the ironer gearcase and head showing mounting bosses by means of which the case will beattached to the cabinet, as will hereafter be explained.

Now referring to the drawings, and at the outset particularly to Fig. 1,I designate the base of my ironer cabinet by the numeral IIJ, andhingedly attached to the base I0 are end shelves II cabinet top is agear head member I4 which is well illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. On -thegear head sil is mounted an ironer roll I5 by means of the trunnion tubeI5', as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6. An ironer shoe I6 is mounted incoacting relationshipwith the roll I5 by a support bracket I1, as willlater be explained. An electric control panel IB is hingedly mounted inthe base I0 and when in normal use is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, butwhen storedmay be hinged inwardly to'properly house the control paneland protect it from dust. A knee control I9 is mounted in the leftsection of the cabinet Ill, a hand control 2li is mounted in theright-hand upper-section of the cabinet and a foot control treadle 2i ispivotally mounted between the upright sections of the cabinet.

In Fig. 2, I show the cabinet complete with all vattached cabinetmembers, but less all the operating mechanism. It will be apparent froma study'of Fig. 2 that this cabinet can be assembled complete andproperly painted or enameled employing high temperature oven bakingmethods, `Jvhile in no Way affecting the operating mechay nism. It willbe obvious that the -cabinet member proper is subject to most handlingand use and, therefore, it would be decidedly advantageous to paint thecabinet with high baked synthetic enamels, which require highertemperatures than the operating mechanism could properly withstand.

view of the cabinet IIJ, and Fig. 4, which is a broken cross-sectionalelevational view, I show a sub-frame structure welded within'thecabinet,

which is designed to withstand all the operating stresses. Channelsections 22 and 23 are spot Welded within the frame IIJ by attachment tothe cross members I0' and 25. Thesechannel secgauge, thereby permittingthe more economical use of materials, because the heavier sections arein the sub-frame, which is concealed Within the frame, and which neednot be of highly finished expensive roll stock.

In Fig. 3 I show an opening 21 through which operating mechanism 36 and31 may be extended and around which is mounted the support bracket I1 bymeans of the cap screws 26, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4. The rockingshaft 36 is readily supported in the cross members I0' and 25, and thestresses produced by this mechanism are firmly resisted by the sub-frameand the bracket I1 bolted around the opening 21. In this manner thestresses are transmitted to the sub-frame and not transferred to thelight base stand.

Now referring to Fig. 6, I clearly show threaded bolting bosses 28 onthe lower inside face of th-e gear head I4. These bolting bossesregister with holes 28 in the cross-wall I0 of the cabinet *30,

I0, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Similarly, the holes 26 register withholes in the bracket I1 to permit its attachment by means of the. capscrews 26. It will be appreciated that the gear head I4 may be passedthrough the top opening in the cabinet I0 and securely attached to thesub-frame by means of the cap screws 30 into the threaded bosses 28, asclearly shown in Fig. 4.

It will be appreciated that |by this structure I have provided meanswhereby the entire gear head is effectively supported on the sub-frameas heretofore described.

Again referring to Fig. 6, I show a rocking lever' mechanism 3| which isattached to the interior mechanism in the gear case by means of the 45cap screws 32. 'I'his rocking lever mechanism has a pin 33 and bracket34 integral therewith, which is attached to the rock shaft 36, as shownin Fig. 4. By this structure I provide means whereby the interior.mechanism in the gear head 50 I4 is attached to the rock shaft 36,which actuates the lever 31 to rock the shoe I6 into and out of ironingrelationship with the roll I5. It

will be appreciated that this structure provides mechanism may behandled as distinct units and afterwards assembled within the frame tocoact as an integral ironer mechanism.

In Fig. 5 I show how the electric motor 38 is attached to the gear headI4 by means of the mounting bracket 39, bolting bosses 40 and cap screws4I. It will be appreciated that by this structure the motor may beattached after complete assembly and thereby eliminating any possibilityof damage to the motor in any of the finishing or baking operations.This is another illustration of the general theme of my invention,whereby the ironer is constructed of various assemblies as best suitedfor economical manufacturing and afterward assembled into a completeunit. l

Although in the foregoing I have described structures particularlyadapted for economical manufacturing, it will n'ow be appreciated thatthe structure is particularly Well adapted for effective servicing ofthe machine. For instance, should an ironer cabinet meet with anaccident and be damaged to an extent requiring a new cabinet, such a newcabinet could be readily provided and the service man would have nodifilculty in dismantling the old mechanism and applying it to the newcabinet. As another example, if the gear head I4 should in some way bedefective, a new gear head could be supplied and attached to the ironerWithout in any way disturbing the balance of the mechanism. Similarly,the shoe and its actuating mechanism could be readily dismantled, 'anda. new shoe supplied.

Having thus described my invention, I nowv claim as new:

In a domestic roll ironer, a cabinet unit, said cabinet unit including amain frame having a table top to support ironed clothes, end shelves andcover assembled and finished as a unit, a sub-frame attached andconcealed within said cabinet, a gear head mechanism which may beassembled and finished as a unit, an ironer shoe mechanism which may beassembled and finished as a unit, and means to connect and mount saidunits in co-acting relationship on said frame, said means beingcompletely .concealed under the surface of said cabinet whereby theironer may be assembled as a complete ironer with no attachment meansnormally visible.

J OI-IN A. CASTRICONE.

